Bauhaus Graphic Design vs Swiss Style
Swiss Style was influenced by Bauhaus Graphic Design — built on the Bauhaus programme of functional, asymmetric, sans-serif design.
Bauhaus Graphic Design
The functional, geometric graphic language forged at the Bauhaus — lowercase sans-serif type, asymmetric layouts, primary colors, and the marriage of typography with photography into a rational visual system.
- Geometric sans-serif type, often lowercase only
- Asymmetric layouts on a horizontal-vertical structure
- Integration of typography with photography (typophoto)
- Primary colors with black, white, and bold rules
- Functional, grid-organized white space
Swiss Style
The mid-century gospel of objective design — mathematical grids, flush-left ragged-right sans-serif type (Helvetica, Akzidenz-Grotesk), generous white space, and photography in place of illustration.
- Mathematical modular grid underlying every element
- Neo-grotesque sans-serif type (Helvetica, Akzidenz-Grotesk)
- Flush-left, ragged-right text setting
- Asymmetric layout balanced by generous white space
- Objective photography instead of illustration
At a glance
| Bauhaus Graphic Design | Swiss Style | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1919–1933 | 1950s–1970s |
| Discipline | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Region | Germany | Switzerland, Germany, International |
| Family | Modernism, Bauhaus | Modernist, International |
| Formal traits | asymmetric, sans-serif, geometric, grid-based | grid-based, sans-serif, asymmetric, minimal |
More comparisons
Advertisement